Railway vehicle



Feb. 24, 1942. R. N. JANEWAY RAILWAY VEHICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 28,-193'7 Bu g Q m INVENTOR BY E i /"L A! Jzz -wd y.

.4 TTORNE Y5- Feb.24, 1942. R N N WAY 2,274,483

RAILWAY VEHICLE Original Filed May 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11V VEN TOR ire wag yaw A TTORNE Y8- Patented Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE muss l W RAILWAY VEHICLE Original application May as, 1937, Serial No. 145,266, now Patent No. 2,174,324, dated September 26, 1939.

Divided and this application August 23,1939, Serial N0.- -291,572 (Cl. 105-199) 9 Claims.

My invention relates to vehicles and it has particular relation to vehicles adapted to be hauled or drawn over rails 01' tracks for the transportation of both passenger and merchandise, particularly the former.

Heretofore, the primary effort made by railroad and railroad equipment designers to neutralize the effect of centrifugal force when a train passes around a curve in the tracks consisted of banking the tracks. This is a partial solution but a given angle of banking on a given radius of curvature of the track is correct for onlyone speed ofthe train, but the speeds of the trains passing over that track vary from the high speed modern passenger train tothe slow speed freight.

' Also, if a train stopped on a curve in the track properly banked for a high speed train the lateral angularity of the car would be very unpleasant to passengers, and might even cause shifting of the load on a freight train.

As a result,'banking the track is generally ineffective as far as passenger comfort or car loading'is concerned although it does probably increase the speed at which such track curves may be negotiated.

By my invention I have eliminated all of the shortcomings of the banked track and have provided a means for insuring that each car assumes the proper degree of inclination at all times, taking into account the radius of curvature of the track, and the speed of .each train.

In addition, it compensates for any angle ofbanking which is improper for the speed of any particular train.

One object of my invention is to improve the haulage of both passengers and merchandise.

A second. object ofmy invention consists-hr providing means whereby each car body will automatically adjust its angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal to compensate for banked tracks, speed and radius of curvature of track so as to neutralize the effect of centrifugal force and of uneven tracks on the passengers and on any merchandise being carried thereby.

An additional object of my inventioncomprises wherein the compression forces are permitted to pass through thecar body.

This application is a division of my c'opending application Serial No. 145,266, filed May 28, 1937, which was issued as Patent .No. 2,174,324, September 26, 1939'. a

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in cross section, of one complete car and a portion of a second car constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the trucks illustrated in Fig. 1, the view being taken along the line IIII thereof.

. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional 4 view .of one of the trucks illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken along-the line III-III of Fig. 2.' 1 i Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, the section being taken along the line IVIV thereof.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view,-somewhat similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modified form which my invention may assume.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, I have illustrated two spaced railway truck frames Ill and II, each provided with wheels I2 which roll upon a railway track l3. Each truck frame is supported by means of coil springs I; .which rest on equalizer bars 15, which, in turn, transfer the weight thereof to the wheels of the trucks. The riding qualities of railroad cars employed in the providing a simple, durable and inexpensive vide a novel type of railway car' wherein tension forces maybe transmitted through each vehicle independently of the car body by means of relatively light weight inexpensive mechanism and truck frame It comprises two end portions l6 and I1, two side portions I6 and I9, and a central portion 20, the portions l8 and I9 supporting the frames through the springs It as previously described. The central portion 20 is provided with a recess 2| atits central point, in'the center of which is disposed a center bearing 22 through the center of which extends a vertically disposed king pin 23 and on which is mounted alower platform 24. The platform 24 is provided with a cooperating center bearing 25 by means of which the platform is rotatably supported with respect to the car frame about the axis of the vertically arranged king pin 23. A car body 26 is supported upon the platform 24, as will be later described.

The end portion it of the truck frame It has secured thereto a drawbar 30 provided at one end with a coupling member 3|, of the rigid nonbendable type, and at its other end has a supported two roller members 33. These roller membersare adapted to ride within an arcuate opening in aguide member 36 which is suitably secured to the frame IS. The opening is bounded by two cylindrical arcuate surfaces 31 and 38 which represent arcs drawn about the center of the king pin 23, and therefore of the center bearing 22, as an axis, and are spaced ,8. distance slightly greater than the diameter of the roller members 33. When tension is exerted upon the drawbar 30 the roller members 33 roll upon the outer arcuate surface 31, about the axis of the king pin 23 as a center, so that,

. regardless of the direction in which the tension is exerted, for example, when a train is passing around a curve in a track, the force transmitted by the drawbar 36 to the truck frame has an effective center of application on the truck frame at the axis of the king pin 23. This likewise results in having the drawbar center itself autothrough the couplingmember 3|, the rollers 33 will engage the inner arcuate surface 38 and the center of application of such compression forces,

owing to the ability .of the drawbar to center itself, will have an effective point of application at the axis of the king pin 23.

v 2,274,483 porting structure 32 on which are rotatably supzontal plane of the guide members 36 and 45 and are separated therefrom by floating blocks 53, each of which presents a. flat transversely extending vertical surface 54 to a correspondingly shaped face on the shoulder 5| and an arcuate face 55 in contact -with the correspondingly shaped portion of the arcuate guide 36. As' a surface .55 represents an are drawn about the center of the king pin 23 as an axis, it will be apparent that pivotal movement of the truck with respect to the car body will cause movement between the surface 55 of the block 53 and the inner face of the guide member 36 without causing any separation of those surfaces. In like manner, the vertical movement of the shoulder 5| with respect to the block 53 is permitted between the vertical face 54 of the block 53 and the shoulder member 5| without causing separation of those surfaces. The floating block 53 always A link 40 serves to interconnect the two trucks of each railroad car, this link being provided on each end, as best shown in Fig. 2, with a sup- .porting member 4| on which are rotatably journalled two roller members 42, which are adapted to .roll on arcuate faces 43 and 44 of an arcuate guide member 45 attached to the end I! of the truck frame In. The arcs of the faces 43 and 44 are likewise drawn about the axis of the king pin 23 as an axis. The surfaces 43 and 44 are .ilkewise spaced a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the roller members 42 so that they may ride on either of the arcuate surfaces 1 with which they are adapted to contact without frictional engagement with the oppositely disposed arcuate surface. As the arcs are drawn about the center of the king pin 23 it is apparent that all forces transmitted by the link 40, which in effect constitutes an internal drawbar, will have an effective center of application on the truck frame at the axes of the pin 23. As a result, regardless of the angular position of the trucks l0 and II withrespect to each other, the distance between the effective points of application of the link 40 remains unaltered.

By reason of the described arrangement of parts, any tension that is transmitted from the adjoining car through the vehicle in question to the next adjacent car passes through the coupling 3|, the drawbar 30, the arcuate guide 36, the frame of the truck In to the arcuate guide 45 and thence to the link 40 to the truck II and its cooperating coupling member. This transmission of tension, it should be noted, has occurred without passing through any portion of the car body 26, thus passing independently thereof.

The car body 26 is provided with a floor portion which has a downwardly extending shoulder 5| at one end thereof and a correspondingly downwardly extending oppositely disposed shoulder 52 at the opposite end thereof. The shoulders 5| and 52 extend downwardly into the horiclosely engages the adjoining surfaces and should preferably be provided with readily lubricated surfaces, or possibly with self-lubricating surfaces, so thatno friction will arise between the block and the several surfaces which it engages. The floating block structure is the subject matter of U. S. Patent No. 2,179,969, granted November 14, 1939, on a copending application, Serial No. 145,403, filed by William Van Der S luys.

By reason of the previously described construction it will be apparent that when any compressive forces are exerted through the vehicle'by means of the drawbar 30, such forces are transmitted directly through the guide member 36 to the block 53, thence to the shoulder 5| of the car body 26, through the car body to the shoulder 52 thereof, at the opposite end of the car, and

thence through the second floating block member 53 and pivotally movable drawbar to the coupling at the opposite end of the car.

The advantage of this construction is that with the car body sprung on the truck frames, as will be hereinafter described, all tension forces being transmitted along the train through the car may be transmitted through the trucks and the internal drawbar 40 independently of the car body, thus permitting the car body to move freely on those springs under those conditions, which represent probably 99 per cent of the operation of the car. On the other hand, the compressive forces especially at time of impact in shifting cars, are ordinarily very much greater than the tension forces and if they were to be carried by the internal drawbar or link 46 it would of necessity be an extremely heavy and rigid member. However, by the arrangement just described, the relatively great compressive forces transmitted through the vehicle, which represents only a very small portion of the operating time of the car, are transmitted through the car body itself, thus permitting the use of a relatively light and inexpensive link 49 and at the same time employing the advantages of a freely sprung car body throughout 99 per cent of its operation.

The lower platform 24, which is mounted on the center bearings 22 and 25, is provided with a transversely extending arcuate track or surface 60, at each side of which is a flange 6|. A second or upper platform 62 is mounted above the platform 24 and has two downwardly projecting flanges 63 between and in which are journalled 'a plurality of roller members 64, which are adapted to roll on the track 60, generally transversely of the platform 24 and therefore transversely of the railroad track l3. The track surface 60 represents an are drawn about an axis extending longitudinally of the car body and represented by a point 65 located near the roof of the car body 26, and in a higher plane than is the center of gravity of the car bodyas represented by an axis 66, as indicated in Fig. 4. When the car body is in its normal horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 4, thepoints 65 and 66 will ordinarily be in a vertical plane on the centerline of the car body 26 with the point 65 materially higher than the point 66 although the point 65 can, of course, be varied at will in designing the arcuate surface 66.

Mounted on each end of the platform 62 is a pair of elliptical springs 61 which support the weight of the car body 26 so that the center of suspension of the platform 24 occurs in the vertical axis of the king pin 23 and the center of suspension of the car body 26 likewise occurs at a point intermediate the springs 61 and therefore coincides with the center of suspension of the platform 24.

With the foregoing arrangement it is apparent that when the car body is subjected to any centrifugal forces such, for example, as when the train is passing around a curve in. the tracks, the roller members 64 will roll on the tracks 66, thus moving about a point 65 as an axis. As the platform 62, and therefore the car 26, is free to move on the surface 60 through the rollers 64, the car will automatically be inclined or tilted to an angle proportional to the centrifugal force acting on the car body.

As the car body tilts about the longitudinal axis 65, the various objects in the car body 26 remain in equilibrium regardless of the radius of curvature of the track or the speed of the train, as the car body will adjust itself to both of these factors automatically. As the car leaves the curve in the track it will gradually restore itself to its normal vertical position, owing to the fact that its center of gravity is located beneath the point 65, about which the car moves as an axis.

In like manner, if the train should be stopped on a curve of the railroad track which is banked, the car will automatically right itself because, under those conditions, no centrifugal force will be acting and the point 66 will assume a position vertically beneath the point 65 so that no discomfort or tilting of the car body will be present. As the car starts to move ahead it will automatically resume its original vertical position with respect to the truck frames, provided that no centrifugal force is present, as soon as the car leaves the banked portion of thetrack. In this manner the effect of banking of the track as well as the effects of centrifugal force are neutralizedby the structure previously described. This adds materially to the comfort of the passengers and prevents the shifting of loads of merchandise which, if fragile, may be seriously damaged thereby.

It will be noted that, as all tension loads are taken through the truck frames and the internal drawbar 40, leaving the car body free of any forces being transmitted through the train, it is entirely free to adjust itself to the proper position to neutralize the effect of centrifugal force or the banking of the track under all conditions excepting when compressive forces arebeing exerted between the trucks which pass through the car body which is but avery small percentage of the normal period of operation. As the surfaces of the floating block 53 are well lubricated the of the car falls in the vertical transverse plane containing the center of percussion of the car body with respect to an axis of rotation falling in the vertical transverse plane of the center of suspension of the opposite end of the car body. When this condition is maintained, any lateral or vertical forces imparted to the car body through the suspension means at one end of the car body cause a movement of that car body as a whole about a point in the vertical transverse plane of the center of suspension thereof at the opposite end of the car without causing any bodily displacement of the other end of the car with'respect to its center of suspension.

It is highly desirable to avoid bodily displacement of the opposite end of the car body with respect to its center of suspension caused by a lateral or vertical force received at first mentioned end of the car because this displacement causes the springs at the opposite end of the car to tend to move the car body back to its original relationship with respect to the original center of suspension, thus initiating a set of lateral or vertical forces which in turn are reflected back to the center of suspension from whence the original disturbance came and continues in that manner until dissipated by ordinary friction or the use of shock absorbing.

It is, of course, practically impossible to have the centers of percussion fall exactlyin the plane of the center of suspension under all conditions owing to the fact that the centers of percussion vary according to the disposition of the load of the car. As a result, I have found it is sometimes desirable to have the centers of percussion a slightly greater distance apart than are the centers of suspension when the car is empty so that, under normally loaded conditions, the centers of percussion will move toward each other into substantial alignment with the centers of suspension. Although it will be found that the best riding qualities are secured when the centers of percussion and centers of suspension are in alignment, nevertheless, a materially improved ride over the present type of (railroad cars will be acquired if they are moved into proximity to each other.

, It is highly desirable, in practicing my invention, that the drawbar 30 and the couplings 3| be of suchv length as to maintain the ends of the add to the discomfort of the passengers by caus-- ing additional and unnecessary movement of the car bodies so engaged by each other. In addition, I find it desirable to have the bellows mechanism 69, which is employed at the ends of passenger cars, to protect the passenger while passing from one car body til the next, of such nature that it will not transmit any forces of any nature between the car bodies and will not .will be permitted by the engagement of the flat surface 54 with the face of the shoulder '51 without moving those surfaces out of engagement.

In the structure illustrated in Fig. I employ a lower platform 24 pivotally mounted upon the center, bearing 22 by means of the bearing 25, and an upperplatform 62 on which is mounted the car supporting springs 81, as previously described. In this construction, however, the roller track surface on the platform 64 consists of two arcuatesurfaces 14 which are inclined toward each other, viewed longitudinally of the car, and, being arcuate, slope toward each other from the two sides thereof. Inlike manner, the block 62 is provided with two oppositely inclined roller engaging surfaces H which likewise are inclined toward each other. The surfaces l0 and", however, are disposed at somewhat different angles and disposed intermediate those surfaces are a plurality of tapered rollers 12, the rollers being tapered owing to the fact that the paths of travel or the various portions thereof differ in length because of the longitudinal inclination of the surfaces H and 10. These tapered rollers serve an additional purpose in that they serve to prevent any longitudinal shifting of the platform 62 with respect to the platform 24, and take longitudinal thrust without friction.

As best illustrated in Fig. 6, I have provided means for maintaining the, roller members 12 in properly spaced relationship with respect to each other between the tracks Ill and II. This is accomplished by employing at each end of the rollers a spacing member ll provided with openings 14 into which are rotatably fitted small centrally disposed projections 'or shafts 15 on the ends of the rollers 12. One of the'rollers, in the illustration the central roller, is provided on the end of its shaft 15 with a toothed gear 16 which is adapted to'mesh with an arcuate rack 11 mounted on the edge of the trackq II and with an arcuate rack 18 mounted on the edge of the track I0. With this construction when movement of the platform 62 occurs with respect to the platform 24 the toothed roller 16 will roll on both racks l1 and 18, causing the rollers l2 l1 mounted on the edge of the track II and maintaining at all times the properly spaced relationship.

The roller aligning structure illustrated in Fig. 6 may readily be employed with the flat type of track as illustrated in Fig. 3 if the rollers 64 thereof engage an upper track on the member 62.

Although my invention has been described primarily in connection with passenger cars, it will be apparent that the same construction may equally well be used on cars adapted for the hauling of any kind of merchandise and will be efficacious in preventing the spilling of liquids, su'ch as on. milk trains, and the considerable pains now gone to in packing cars to prevent the shifting of fragile merchandise owing to centrifugal force may be dispensed with where my invention is employed. The collapsible bellows 68 are, of

course, not necessary where the invention is employed on freight trains but otherwise the constructions may be substantially identical.

Although I have illustrated several forms which my invention may assume and have described in detail several applications thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: v

1. In a railw'ay v'l'ilcle, a car body, a plurality of spaced trucks adapted to support said car body, car couplings secured to said trucks, means interconnecting said trucks adapted to transmit tension forces through said vehicle independently of said car body, and means operatively associated with said respective trucks and said car body adapted to transmit substantially .all compression forces between said couplings through said car body.

2. In a railway vehicle, a car body, two spaced trucks pivotally associated with and adapted to support said car body, coupling mechanism mounted on each of said trucks, means interconnecting said trucks and having effective points of application of forces at the pivotal axes of said trucks, said means being adapted to transmit tension forces be ween said trucks independently of said car body, and additional means associated with said couplings and said trucks for transmitting compression forces through said car body.

3. In a railway vehicle, a car body, a supporting truck pivotally associated with each end of said car body, a coupling associated with each truck and having an effective point of application of forces at the pivotal connection of said truck and car body, a link interconnecting said trucks independently of said car body and having effective points of application of. forces at the pivotal connections of said trucks and car body, and means on said car body adapted to assume compression loads only being transmitted through said vehicle between said trucks.

4. In a railway vehicle, a car body, a supporting truck pivotally associated with each end of said car body, a coupling member mounted on each truck and having a portion thereof adapted to move on an arcuate guide mounted on said truck, a link interconnecting said trucks and having portions thereof adapted to move on arcuate guides mounted on said trucks, the arcs of said guides having axes substantially coinciding with the centers of suspension of said car body, a shoulder member mounted on each end of said car body, and means associated with said trucks adapted to engage said shoulder members to transmit compression forces between said trucks, said link being adapted to transmit tension forces between said trucks.

5. In a railway vehicle, a car body, a supporting truck pivotally associated with each end of said car body, a coupling associated with each truck and having an effective point of application of forces at the pivotal connection of said truck and car body, a link interconnecting said trucks independently of said car body and having effective points of application of forces at the pivotal connections of said trucks and car said trucks, said link being adapted to transmit tension forces between said trucks.

6. In a railway vehicle, a car body, a plurality of spaced trucks adapted to support saidcar body, car couplings secured to said trucks, and means including said trucks and couplings adapted to transmit tension forces from adjacent cars through said vehicle independently of said car body and adapted to transmit compression forces through said car body, said means comprising a shoulder member on each end of said car body having a contacting surface on the side thereof facing the nearer end of the car body, a shoulder member on the front end of the leading truck and on the rear end of the trailing truck having contacting surfaces facing each other, and means providing operative engagement between the contacting surfaces .of said truck and car body shoulder members.

7. In a railway vehicle, a car body, two longitudinally spaced trucks adapted to support said car body, a tension member interconnecting said trucks, car couplings secured to said trucks, means connecting said body with the rear truck adapted to transmit forward propelling forces only to said body. and means connecting said body with the forward truck adapted to transmit rearward propelling forces only to said body.

8. In a railway vehicle, a car body. two longitudinally spaced trucks adapted to support said car body, car couplings secured to said trucks, rigid means interconnecting said trucks adapted to maintain them in spaced relation, suspension means connecting said body with each of said trucks. said suspension means being of the type incapable of transmitting propelling forces therebetween and means for transmitting propelling forces from said trucks to said body so constructed and arranged that said body receives its forward propelling forces from the rear truck and its rearward propelling forces from the front truck.

9. In a railway vehicle, a plurality of spaced trucks, a car body mounted on said trucks and adapted to tilt with respect to said trucks about an axis extending generally longitudinally of said car body, car couplings secured to said trucks, draft means interconnecting said trucks independently of said car body, means interconnecting said trucks adapted to transmit tension forces from adjacent cars through said vehicle while permitting freedom of tilting of said car body, and means including a force transmitting connectio between the body and the respective trucks adapted to transmit compression forces from' adjacent cars through said car body, said last means being constructed and arranged for operation without substantial interference'with the free tilting of said car body.

ROBERT N. JANEWAY,

I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,Z7 +,lj.85. February ZLL', 1911.2.

' ROBERT N. JANEWAY.

It i hereby certified that ermiappears in the printed specification of th'e'aoovenumbered-patent requiring correctionasfollows; Page 2, first olumn, line 141;, for "ilkewise" read. --iikewise--; page/ 15 first column, line 52, for "trackq"-read --traokline 58, strike out "77 mounted on the edge of the trak 71 and" end insert instead --to move uniformly ontheir tracks 71 and 70,"; and that the said Letters Patent ehould'be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of June, A. D. 1914.2.

Henry Van Arsdale,

( Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

